Warborn
by Case13
Summary: War changes people. Kurosaki Ichigo and his comrades learn that particular lesson as the war around them goes on.
1. Chapter 1

The basic theme is war and changes. Or, more accurately, Ichigo and his friends during the Arancar/Shinigami war. Several years into it, in fact. Things changed. People changed. And not always for the better.

This is, obviously, a future fic and AU, since it splits form the Hueco Mundo trip onwards.

Warning: Pairings here might be a little bit unusual, and I'm not talking about yaoi - I don't write yaoi in any way, shape or form. Nor will I ever. So no yaoi here. But still, some people will propably scream bloody murder. And I can say that Hinamori fans shouldn't read it. It not only has Hitsugaya/Matsumoto pairing but also the portrayal of Hinamori and her actions in this fic are less than pleasant.

Consider yourself warned.

AN: For some reason the version that went to the site was the unedited one. Sorry for that. This is the version that was meant to be here. Second Chapter will be also edited, since it is also the draft version. Just a mistake.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Sad, I know.

oOo

Warborn

Chapter 1

oOo

Her hands shook as she gripped her zanpakuto tighter. It was not from fear. Fear stopped meaning anything long ago. So did carnage, bodies of the fallen comrades and stench of of hollow reiatsu that enfluged the battlefield like a cloud of poisonous smoke.

She was tired. All she wanted to do was to lean on her weapon and rest. She didn't ask much. Just a minute. Just so she could catch her breath and collect the meager scraps that remained of her spiritual power after the prolonged skirmish that turned to be a bona fide battle.

'This wasn't supposed to be like this.' she thought bitterly, though she didn't know is she thought that about the mess that the mission had became or her own life.

'Not like this at all.'

She took a precious second to sweep the battlefield with her weary eyes.

The small force sent here was routine for such an assignment. Find the small breach from Hueco Mundo, assess the damage, contain and seal the barrier.

Easy.

The Onmitsukido already scouted the area, the mission was deemed safe enough so that only a small detachment had been sent.

Nobody expected the low level arrancar to appear. It was, in itself, an impossibility. A breach of that size allowed only certain amount of spiritual power to pass through, only the lower level hollows.

Nobody expected a Gillian to simply send a cero through the breach. Nobody expected several arrancar, low level, incomplete but still arrancar, to aid the suicidical endeavor. Some died passing through unstable barrier. Some were mangled beyond belief. But those that survived were more than enough.

They sent a call for help, of course. But it was futile, she knew. Seireitei was too far away, and the closest force avaliable was having a hell of a time battling several high level arrancar that deserted the Hueco Mundo's new regime and were desperate to break into living world at any cost.

They were alone. No one would come. They were going to die.

They all knew it.

But still, they were shinigami. Theirs was a sacred duty. Any hollow killed meant less chaos in the living world, less souls consumed, more lives saved.

So they grit their teeth, released their zanpakutos and spat the devil in the eye.

And fought. Fought like demons, like possessed madmen Zaraki Kenpachi would be proud of.

And they died. In droves.

"Commander!"

She almost laughed at that. Commander, indeed. She was barely a ninth seat, but after the hollows cut through them, she was the only officer left alive. So she was commander now. Her. The little, mousy Kanzuki Rin, the shy waif from the academy lost in a world she had never suspected even existed.

Commander.

"What is it, Isamu?" she asked tiredly

"The hollows managed to break through our left flank." Said the young shinigami. At any given time, he would be panicking and sweating bullets, but the battle took it's toll on them all. His usually boisterous manner was subdued and calm. That cocksure grin he usually wore while bullying the mousy little Kanzuki into making his homework during the academy days was also gone.

"This soon?" she raised an eyebrow "Hasty little bastards. Must be hungry like hell." This was a catastrophe. Without anyone guarding their left flank, they were wide open and they both knew that. It was just a matter of time before the hollows exploited that weakness. And when they did, they were going to strike. They were going to come in force to slaughter them all and feast upon their souls.

But damned if she would sell her life cheap.

"Well, if they want a snack, they'll find that the price is higher than they would like. And we'll collect." She said, standing straighter by sheer force of will

He flashed her a small grin.

"Aye, commander." he said hefting his shikai, a long spear "That we will."

"Let's not keep our guests of honor waiting then..." she muttered, Ikezumi warming in her hand, the small embers gathering on the blade again.

'This is it, old friend. You have brought me this far and it has been a hell of a ride. Thank you.' she thought caressing the edge fondly.

The zapakuto's blood red blade vibrated under her touch, the burning ash that could turn enemies into cinder gently warming her hand in reassurance.

There were times when she cursed the weapon, cursed it's very existence as she cried, as she was forced to fight and see her comrades die one after another. Ikezumi was the very reason she had been taken from her comfortable life as Toudai student, taken from her family and thrown headfirst into a bloody, violent war. Being one of those rare souls to manifest the zanpakuto while still alive, she really didn't have much choice in leaving the living world behind for service to Seireitei.

Usually the Gotei 13 would wait for her death before recruiting, but those were dire times. Every soldier counted. And so, Kanzuki Rin, the shy bookworm became Kanzuki Rin, a supernatural warrior in a brutal war.

But as she caressed the Ikezumi, she was surprised that, despite the approaching death, she didn't mind. She saved lives, she met some great people and had seen wonders she never even suspected existed in her short time as a shinigami. And Ikezumi, the spirit of burning ash that lent his might at her call, had been the greatest wonder of all.

Had she the chance to make over, she would have done the same in a heart beat. She wouldn't give up Ikezumi's fury and fiery growl for anything in the world or beyond.

She was Kanzuki Rin. Shinigami, the ninth seat of Ninth Division and she was damn proud of it.

'Our souls, hard yet firm Our power, tearing the mountains Our swords, splitting the water Our names, reaching the villa'

She smiled, hearing the crackling, fiery voice of her zanpakuto reciting the verses. Like that time so long ago when the spirit made of burning embers, larger than life, sound of raging fire in his voice spoke for the first time to the scared girl attacked by something that shouldn't exist.

She didn't understand it then. But she did now.

"Only one among us may stand under the heaven. Such is... the swords man's creed." She whispered, finishing the riddle and giving the crimson edge one last touch.

'You have grown. I am proud to walk with you.'

She smiled. Against the odds, carnage and inevitable death. She smiled, letting the fiery power burn in her for one, last time.

Barely a second later, a cero burst through the Demon Art barrier.

'Shall we?' She thought with a grin only suicidical madmen or warriors backed into a corner but refusing to give up were capable of.

'Always.'

And the embers turned into the bonfire, the slow burn exploded with crimson rage.

"Bleed and burn, Ikezumi!" She growled letting her zanpakuto spit a deadly cascade of burning ash, incinerating first attacker and badly wounding those behind him.

She stabbed Ikezumi into the ground, rising a fiery ring that consumed another foolish hollow that tried to step around her.

"Come, trash! Come and BURN!" She spat, letting loose another deadly torrent of fiery embers from her blade.

Next minutes turned into chaos of fire, power and blood, as shinigami and hollows died. She didn't have time to think, she barely had time to breath, to let her ash loose on the attackers, to block the claws, to avoid the jaws. She didn't have time to so much as assist the shinigami around her. She was to busy bleeding and making others bleed and burn.

It was endless.

For every hollow burned by her ash, another two took it's place. And with every burst of ash, every swing of her zanpakuto, hell - even breath - her reiatsu waned.

And then, the fiery flakes died. The ash cooled. The crimson edge turned dull grey.

A blow brought her to her knees, fiery barrier that defended her no longer present.

She refused to close her eyes as the clawed appendage fell, but her eyes were to blurry with exhaustion to so much as glare defiantly or even see clearly.

But she heard the sound of ripping flesh. Felt the liquid that must have been blood.

'So... that's it...' She thought sluggishly 'Funny... it doesn't hurt at all...

She blinked, trying to get rid of the blood that coated here eyes and saw black.

And grey.

And two strips of white, one higher than the other. And orange.

'What...?' she thought dumbly, focusing her tired eyes

And there it was.

The obi tied messily over standard gi and hakama, swaying gently along with long, white scarf tied around the neck. The messy hair almost glowing gold in the setting sun.

And the edged monstrosity that was longer than she was tall.

The monstrosity that was swung with lightning speed and inhuman precision, cutting her attacker in half in one, effortless move.

"Who...?"

The orange haired shinigami turned his head slightly, allowing her to see the two pools of blue, glowing with reiatsu so potent that even in her exhausted state, even with poisonous hollow reiatsu suffocating the air she could feel it clearly.

"Reinforcements." He said with a grin and then he vanished, his shunpo too fast for her to follow.

Only then, her exhausted mind caught with her.

The giant sword swung with effortless skill... The long, white scarf, rumored to be given by a noble Kuchiki clan head... The distinctive golden hair... The awesome speed and outrageous power...

Her eyes widened steadily as the surrounding hollows, arrancar included suddenly started to bleed, cut in half en masse or simply exploded in gore all around her from unseen cuts.

She had heard the stories about the rankless shinigami, a boy turned death god just before the War. The boy who defeated such powerhouses like Abarai Renji or legendary Kuchiki Byakuya after months - MONTHS - of wielding a Zanpakuto.

Everybody did at some point.

About the legendary speed, battle prowess worthy of a demon and unbelievable power that made the young man equal of any captain level shinigami, despite the gap in age. She dismissed them as tall tales, stories blown out of proportion by others.

Now... Now as she watched a small army of hollows defeated... No. SLAUGHTERED with seconds, she decided that whatever had been told about Kurosaki Ichigo didn't embellish the facts one bit. If anything, it didn't do him justice.

The young shinigami, no older than her, maybe even YOUNGER, if stories were to be believed, was a one man army. Unstoppable force that torn through hollows like a battering ram.

With the last hollow exterminated, Kurosaki Ichigo reappeared from his shunpo, the giant zanpakuto balanced on his arm, aura of power swirling around him, making him look like some fierce god of war straight from the legends of old. As her vision started to blur, exhaustion catching up with her at last, she felt a strong arm catch her, blue eyes last thing she would see before waking up in Fourth Division's infirmary.

Unknowingly to her, that day, the battle, her acceptance of status of shinigami and a blonde man wielding the awesome power would change her forever. She would survive the war. She would thrive on it, learn from it and go forward with an unwavering determination and willpower that legends were made of, refusing to lay down her sword and go back to her mundane life after the war was over.

And when the time came, when Ikezumi burned brighter that the sun, her will stronger than the Seireitei walls, she would step forward to become one of the youngest captains Gotei 13 ever had.

One of the best to come in centuries, as well. A shinigami whose name was written in the chronicles of Gotei 13 among such legends like Hitsugaya Toshiro, Kuchiki Byakuya or Soi Fong.

And always in her mind there would a visage of the blond man, the living incarnation of war and power, pushing her further, keeping her resolve burning strong and bright. To fight to the end. To fight to the last breath. To never, EVER, give up.

oOo

"Watch where you're going ya..." The burly young shinigami looked at the large zanpakuto and blinding white of the scarf and paled.

"Please forgive me, Kurosaki-sama!" He said hastily, almost scraping the floor with his topknot as he all but kowtowed to the young man "I sincerely meant nothing by it! I promise never to make that mistake again!

Even the three other shinigami, all carrying themselves in cocksure manner only young fighters were capable of, apologized profusely all the while glaring daggers at their companion, before fleeing the small establishment.

"What the hell...?" muttered Ichigo in confusion, before shrugging and resuming his walk until he reached the familiar alcove.

As always, Hitsugaya was already there, first to arrive. And, as always, he glared at Ichigo as he took off his sampakuto and cracked his neck in relief, sitting down for the first time in several hours.

"You're LATE." The young tenth division captain growled "AGAIN."

"Eh, don't sweat it, man." He waved his hand lazily "We had a scuffle with the Deserters and then I had to bail a squad that got in over it's head at 521."

Teenager's white eyebrows shot up.

"You've been to 521?" He asked with interest

Ichigo nodded, waving at the barmaid for the usual.

"Yeah, Yoruichi-san had one of her 'feelings' " He made quotation marks with his hands, rolling his eyes "So she asked me to investigate. Turned out she was right. Some smart ass arrancar had the bright idea to use a cero at the unstable crack in the Wall. Some even managed to get through, damn me if I know how."

"WHAT?!" Toshiro almost stood up

Ichigo shrugged.

"Damn. Well that's not of the good." Muttered the young captain with the frown.

"No arguing here, man." Ichigo sighed.

"Have you told Nemu?" asked Hitsugaya.

"Yeah. Last I had seen her, she had been running around with several egg heads from Tech Institute and trying to ascertain the situation. She still doesn't know if that was one time deal and some freak coincidence or not. She promised to get back to me once she did, though." Ichigo chuckled, seating himself comfortably "She was so mad that she was almost spitting nails and her reiatsu was nearly in the visible spectrum. The tech heads looked scared shitless and I don't blame them. Poor bastards. Nemu can be scarier than her old man ever was when she gets like that."

Toshiro shook his head in amazement.

Sure, since the death of her 'father', the young 12th division captain and Director of Institute of Technology allowed herself more expression, but she was still a very stoic person. Actually, unless you knew her well, like Ichigo did, she seemed identical to how she used to be. Part of it might be the fact she allowed only a few people inside her emotional defenses, like Ichigo or, oddly enough, Matsumoto.

'Speaking of the devil...' Hitsugaya thought, spying the familiar blonde mane and cleveage with a smirk.

As always, Matsumoto left the swath of drooling patrons, not a few of them women as she cheerfully... bounced to their usual alcove.

Accompanying her, in a far more subdued manner, was the lithe, black haired figure of Soi Fong.

Without a word, Toshiro poured sake, the best money could buy, sat in a more... stable manner and carefully loosed his haori with a long suffering sigh.

Accidentally suffocating was SO not on his 'to do' list.

Ichigo watched the young captain with a knowing grin.

"Not a WORD, Kurosaki." Hissed the teenager "Not. A. GODDAMN. WORD."

"Sure, sure. Whatever." Ichigo snorted, still grinning

And then, as always when the sake and white haired captain were in sight in such combination, there was a squeal.

"Yo hoo! Taichooo!"

And there was a blonde. And squeezing. And breasts. No, let me show it right. There were BREASTS.

The world, and most importantly certain white haired captain who just got a faceful of cleavage of the gods, knew that Matsumoto Rankigu had arrived.

In a well practiced manner, not even wavering despite being blinded by sight and touch that most Seireitei would kill for, Toshiro reached for the saucer he had just poured and placed in the vicinity of Rankigu's mouth.

As if by magic, the BREASTS ceased their merciless assault and Toshiro was free to breathe, even if the blonde bombshell still leaned into him, balancing on his knees as she drank. Oddly enough, the small difference in height still present between the young captain and his leuitenant was almost invisible when Matsumoto melted into him like that.

Soi Fong took her place next to Ichigo in far more sedate manner, shaking her head slightly.

"No matter how many times I have seen it, it's still one of the oddest and most entertaining things I have witnessed." She said.

"Really?" Ichigo poured her a saucer of sake which she accepted gracefully "I still can't get over the fact that she still calls him 'captain' even after work. If she calls him that in private... Makes for an interesting dynamic, don't ya think?

Soi Fong stared at him, before downing a cup of sake with a blush.

"Pervert." She muttered.

Ichigo laughed, not ceasing even when she slammed his arm in outrage.

Toshiro's glare only made him laugh harder.

"Well seeing as Soi Fong uses her fists on you to make a point... Now THAT is a real interesting dynamic." Matsumoto drawled lazily, saucer balanced in one hand, other absently toying with Toshiro's wild mane, her chin on his arm.

It was Ichigo's turn to glare.

Soi Fong tried to pretend she wasn't there by time honored tactic of hiding behind her cup.

"Messing with the mistress of quips and witty come-backs... I expected you of all people to know better, strawberry." Tsked the teenager with a smirk

"It's not STRAWBERRY, goddamit." Ichigo scowled.

"Suuuure." Matsumoto smirked, taking a long sip without care in the world "Sure it isn't. We believe you."

"It isn't!" growled the young shinigami substitute fiercely

"Awww!" Matsumoto pinched his cheek "You look SO adorable when you pout. Almost as adorable as taicho used to when he got all indignant like that!"

Said captain's eyebrow twitched, vein visible.

"MATSUMOTO!" He gritted out.

"You see what I mean?" Rankigu said to Soi Fong with a chuckle, waving her arm airily before touching her captain's face tenderly, leaning to whisper in his ear.

"Oh don't worry, taicho. Your pout is still number one to me... Like everything else about you." She said huskily, her hot breath making afwul things to his composure as he fought to keep the blush from his face.

Matsumoto noticed the signs and smirked that small, unholy smirk that spelled trouble.

"Oh damn... Here they go again..." Muttered Ichigo, though he was unable keep a grin off his face. The rigid, obsessively hardcase and workaholic Hitsugaya getting bent out of shape by Matsumoto's little touches, kisses and seemingly innocent comments that usually turned to be rather... racy once you were 'in the know' was entertaining like nothing else. Though he didn't go as ballistic anymore as he used to when Rankigu all but waged an all out war of seduction when he was younger, it was still quality entertainment.

Soi Fong, despite her feverent denial, also waited with anticipation for the famous Rankigu-Toshiro interaction. It was like the car crash from a living world she had witnessed once. You just couldn't help but watch in fascination, despite knowing the outcome. And though she wouldn't admit it at a gunpoint, Rankigu was an EXCLELLENT teacher.

Not that SHE, of all people, would use such... methods. Any such notion was ridiculous.

Really.

Ichigo felt a momentary touch of dread that passed quickly, leaving strangely ominous feeling. He ignored it. There was nothing to worry about, after all.

Matsumoto breathed into her Taichou's earlobe gently.

Then she slowly, sensually, licked his ear.

Hitsugaya, for the lack of better word, froze, before melting into the seat.

"Mmmm... That's a lot better... I hate it when you're stiff like that. " Muttered Rankigu, nearly purring as she settled on her perch, ie Hitsugaya, more comfortably.

"Evil woman." Said the young captain with a scowl, through he was unable to keep the small, silly grin that kept tugging at his lips before he smirked.

"I thought you liked me all stiff." He said flippantly.

Rankigu almost spat her sake as she looked at Toshiro with wide eyes.

Ichigo whistled slowly.

"Whoa... Shrimp grew some claws!" He said in amazement "When did THAT happen?"

"Indeed." Soi Fong nodded sagely before saluting her fellow captain with a saucer of sake "Good for him." She said, leaning her lithe body into a more comfortable position. That her head practically nestled itself on Ichigo's arm if you watched from a right angle was pure coincidence of course.

And it certainly didn't mean a thing that she was drinking from his cup in slow, measured manner, savoring each drop like it was some kind of exquisite nectar. From the exact same spot his lips met the edge moments before.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he turned his head to his companion, only to meet the half lidded eyes.

His eyebrows shot up.

Soi Fong smirked.

Yes, Matsumoto Rankigu was an excellent teacher.

oOo

He could have flash stepped in here in matter of seconds, but that would be wrong. So he walked through the long lane without resorting to the supernatural, even by shinigami standards, speed he was capable of.

When he walked up to the small alley, full of cherry trees in full bloom, Byakuya was already there, kneeling by the twin graves.

Ichigo would bet that the noble was there long before he was awake.

He had, after all, twice the reason for coming here.

He took off Zangetsu, laying on the patch of grass right next to elegant form of Senbonzakura. He knelt by the grave, whispering a short prayer with closed eyes, before opening them again.

It was odd how the two men so fundamentally different like night and day looked so similar, kneeling by the graves in the exact same manner, near identical scarves on their necks.

Byakuya stood up.

"Come by the main compound when you finish." He said before bowing to the graves and taking off, Senbonzakura in hand.

Ichigo nodded, before turning to the grave and taking a long breath.

He had a lot to say, after all. He always did.

oOo

It was ironic, in a way. When the War, for that what it was - THE WAR - started, with it's rampant destruction and carnage, he fully expected to die.

He was on the front lines since day one, he risked his neck day in and day out while struggling with his hollow side.

And for all his power, his 'legendary' fighting prowess, he was still a kid. Still had holes. Still was only human. A substitute shinigami. Even if Yoruichi-san, who had taken on herself the burden of being his mentor, teacher, leader and older sister all at once - for which he was eternally grateful - worked both of them to the bone to patch the holes he had as a shinigami. Brute power and luck was pretty much all he had.

But he was Kurosaki Ichigo. Give up didn't exist in his vocabulary. So he walked forward. He freaking RAN.

Zangetsu swinging, shunpo dipping the world in molasses and reiatsu singing with power as his hollow howled with glee.

Battle after battle, conflict after conflict...

And then there was Hueco Mundo. And the War REALLY started. Things have changed.

It took sheer, dumb luck and Ishida's sacrifice to survive. If not for Chad, overloaded with reiatsu, Ishida's parting gift, suddenly developing his own equivalent of shunpo in sheer desperation, they would have died.

HE would have died. It took Fourth Division nearly a week to put him back together. It took him a month to so much as move normally.

But it was good. It opened his eyes. Made him think. Sharpened his will into a sword as sharp as Zangetsu.

There was a momentary lull in the war. Aizen's resources took a considerable blow, after all. Ichigo knew that he had some time.

Contrary to expectations, he didn't rush. He didn't run. He had patiently waited until Unohana declared him fully recovered, took his zanpakuto - sealed to prevent his escape - and went to find the person he trusted the most and considered his mentor.

Yoruichi's training had been brutal.

Savage in a way that made Urahara's little training session or even his Vaizard training look very tame in comparison.

Urahara was a scientist. A powerful shinigami, but still a scientist. Yoruichi was a warrior from the family of warriors. Born and bred for centuries to excel on the battlefield.

And she was a prodigal talent that appeared once in a blue moon.

She asked questions, she carefully gauged his strength in every possible way, dismantled his style and power to the most basic components and had a good look at his strengths and weaknesses in every possible way, including his hollow side.

And then she crushed him. Shattered him. Pounded him into an unrecognizable paste and remade him from ground up without mercy or remorse.

Basic Kido for reiatsu management. Hakudo for power. Zanjutsu for precision. Hoho for speed.

All this in most efficient, brutal way possible. Every kido spell he had learned had been burned into his body, every hakuda technique had it's own set of bruises and he stopped counting cuts he received from zanjutsu lessons.

Hoho was a nightmare. Ichigo had gotten to know just why Yoruichi was known as the Goddess of the Flash. Intimately. Painfully.

It might seem excessive at first glance but Yoruichi judged him well. Ichigo was the ultimate hands on type. He learned best under pressure, under duress and through the firsthand experience.

So she gave him all of those. In spades.

She shaped him, sculpted him and molded him, turning brute force into precise tool, raw power into a tightly controlled energy. She showed him how to use his savage instincts to the fullest, while refining them on every level. With each spell, each punch, each cut, she turned a powerful, somewhat ungaingly brawler into a warrior.

He was like a hammer before, all power and blunt force.

When Yoruichi finished with him, he was a sword. Sharp. Deadly. Precise.

A living weapon.

Byakuya, perceptive as always, knew from the first glance what his friends dimly suspected.

He looked at him without a word and nodded, before walking away.

He had never called him 'brat' anymore.

oOo

Byakuya had, Ichigo noticed during the years of their friendship, a unique talent. It wasn't his prodigal skill with the sword, his minboggling speed that only several people - Ichigo included - could equal, it wasn't his inhuman reiryoku control.

No.

Byakuya could turn even most mundane or stupid thing into an example of poise, grace and aristocratic refinement.

Even slurping on the straw from a nearly empty juice carton. Carton that was now, after the trading with Living World became troublesome, made by Kuchiki ran enterprise. One that, against all odds, brought considerable profits. Not that Byakuya cared. He would have his juice in the carton if he had to walk through Hueco Mundo daily to get it.

Of that Ichigo was sure.

The scarf, Rukia's scarf, Ichigo now wore was a prime example.

The white Kuchiki heirloom was unique and expensive beyond belief. It had been made by a master in the centuries past and there was nothing even approaching it's quality. It was, in a way, a symbol of Kuchiki heir, passed from one head of the family to the next. Then Byakuya decided that Rukia should wear the scarf. But since he was the clan head, it would be against the tradition to just give it to her.

So Kuchiki Byakuya, in his calm, logical way decided to have a new, near identical one made. That it was, by all rights, impossible didn't bother him one bit.

Ichigo often thought that in his own way, Byakuya was one of the most terryfingly illogical, unpredictable people he knew.

He snorted, sipping his own juice.

Byakuya raised one sculpted eyebrow.

"Just thinking... How weird the world is an' all." Ichigo muttered.

Byakuya took another carton and stabbed the straw at a perfect angle.

"Indeed."

oOo

Duck. Swipe. Backhand. Kick.

Circle.

Dash.

Duck.

Kick. Knife hand to the sternum.

Counter.

Neck chop.

Counter.

"SHUNKO!"

And the flash strafe.

Over a hundred meters in one strafe step.

Niiiiice.

He was getting better.

Only he wasn't good enough.

The wings of pure energy shattered the ground, sang in the air and turned genius into a being of pure speed.

Not a goddess.

Yet.

But fast enough.

No zanpakuto. No Bankai.

Sorry man.

Service not avaliable.

Please leave a message after the tone.

This was Hakuda.

This was her realm.

But POWER was his.

And some times... It was all about power.

Roar of displaced air as the power danced in tightening spiral, more and more and more and more...

Her eyes widened.

Of course.

This was almost a double amount needed for her Shunko. Almost.

Air screamed. Power danced with flakes of lightning that lit at random. Vibrating, laughing, howling.

"Hakkaten."

Point of ignition. Flash point.

Yoruichi named it. He created it. And now she saw it.

She smirked, Shunko's wings blooming into full power around her lithe form.

Momentary lightning swept him, touching his eyes, coloring it with brilliant madness of power, of speed and force of spirit.

She smirked and blurred, even to him.

The battle was joined.

oOo

He stretched luxuriously, the steaming water a bliss on his tired muscles.

He almost froze when a cool hand traced the line of bruises before relaxing, feeling the familiar reiatsu.

"You leave your right side slightly open."

He nodded.

"I know. I usually use Zangetsu so I sometimes forget in heat of hand to hand battle."

"Heat of battle...is it?" He could feel the smirk in her voice.

"Yeah. So it is."

Her hands vanished for a few seconds before he could feel an odd, oily feeling spreading over his back. It stung lightly.

He hissed.

"Wh..."

"Oh do sit still." She groused "Honestly. You get nearly ripped in half and it's okay. A little bit salve and you're all prissy."

"Prissy?" He said incredously "PRISSY?!"

Soi Fong smirked slightly, rubbing the salve to his back.

He was so easy to rile up sometimes. She could see why Matsumoto did it to Hitsugaya.

It was fun.

'Speaking of fun...'

Her smirk got wider and her hands got... creative.

Ichigo had no chance. No chance at all.

In her office the bronze skinned, golden eyed newly reinstated Commander of Seireitei's Special Forces felt sudden urge to break out good sake and wave victory fans.

She frowned.

'What. The. Hell?'

It was fifth time in last three days alone, goddamit!

oOo

The house was small. One room. Futon. Kitchen.

If it wasn't absolutely essential, it wasn't there.

Hell, spartan as she was, Soi Fong had more things than he had.

Not like he spent a lot of time there, anyway.

Propably why they arranged it to be at HER home, the bastards.

Ichigo tried to relax. Not like he could do anything about it.

Ikakku. With a disturbing grin that looked disturbingly like 'better you then me' grin as he sat before him.

Hanataro. Who for once looked solemn instead of meek and apolegtic. And it had to be special, since the medic turned warrior was propably changed the most by the war.

And that Kanzuki Rin that he had saved a few weeks ago. Why was she here, anyway?

Ikkaku fought a smirk as he coughed, coming to a fore.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. Substitute shinigami, representative of 13th division assigned to Onmitsukido under direct command of Her Excellency Shihouin Yorichi-sama. You are hearby stripped of your status as substitute shinigami, all of it's privileges and duties effective immideatly. Return your badge."

Ichigo almost stood up in outrage until Yoruichi gave him 'the LOOK'.

With a glare, he took off his badge, sliding it over to Ikkaku, who gave it to Hanataro.

Trying, and failing miserably, to remain solemn, Ikkaku took out an ornate envelope. Breaking the Gotei 13 official seals, he coughed out, before speaking.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, you are hereby officially inducted into ranks of Gotei 13 to the full extent and assigned to Onmitsukido under the command of Her Excellency Shihouin Yoruichi-sama, the Commander of Onmitsukido and given rank-equivalent of Third Seat and the Special Response Battalion Commander. Effective immideatly. Gotei 13 expects you to fulfill your duties diligently and with honor. Congratulations. So ordered by the Supreme Commander of Seireitei Armed Forces and Gotei 13 Commander-General, his Excellency Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and the Supreme Commander of Onmitsukido and Director of Intelligence her excellency Shihouin Yoruichi-sama. Such was given, such was ordered and such it will be."

Ichigo could feel his heart sinking as he watched his mentor smirk. He had no doubt that her devious mind was already rubbing hands in glee with a mad internal cackle.

Soi Fong's face was utterly expressionless, but her eyes had a glint he had learned to recognize as pride.

Those two, both involved and, at one time, commanding the Onmitsukido, he could understand. But what the hell were Toshiro and Byakuya doing here? And he doubted they came to Shihouin Family Compound just to chat.

And why the hell was Yoruichi in her official Clan Robes instead of her skimpy Special Forces uniform or her usual orange jacket and leggins?

'Something is wrong here.' He thought, shifting uneasily.

Yoruichi stepped forward, taking out the Shihouin Family heirloom, the deadly Ginsen, Silver Warfan.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, disciple of Shihouin and Onmitsukido Third Seat. Kneel before your Commander and Family Head." She intoned, her tone official to the core.

'Excuse me?' He thought dumbly, but followed Yoruichi's orders with ease of the long ingrained habit

"Those who follow must listen. Those who order must speak. Those who fight must have courage. Those who lead must have wisdom. Those who win must have strength. Who shall come forth?"

The tone was official, the words ceremonial.

'What the HELL is going on here?'

"I shall." Toshiro came forward, solemn and grim.

"Who are you to come and speak?" asked Yoruichi

"I am Hitsugaya Toshiro, Wielder of Hyorinmaru, captain of Tenth Division of Gotei 13 that defends the Seireitei and all within it." Replied the youth calmly.

"You are indeed worthy to speak." Yoruichi nodded. "For whom shall you speak?"

"I speak for myself and I speak for Tenth Division of Gotei 13 on behalf of the one who stands before you." He said, his words as ceremonial as Yoruichi's.

The silver fan opened, sweeping the room gracefully.

"Will anybody else come forth?"

"I shall." Byakuya's voice cut the air like knife

"Who are you to come and speak?"

Byakuya seemed to grow, to loom over the room like an ivory tower for a moment.

"I am Kuchiki Byakuya, Master of Senbonzakura, Head of Kuchiki Family, captain of Sixth division of Gotei 13 that defends Seireitei and within it."

"Yoruichi nodded, like she did with Toshiro earlier.

"You are indeed worthy to speak. For whom shall you speak?"

"I speak for myself. I speak for Kuchuki Family. I speak for Sixth Division of Gotei 13 on behalf of the one that stands before you.

The fan swept yet again.

"Will anybody else come forth?"

"I shall." Just like with Toshiro and Byakuya, Soi Fong's voice was deeply solemn and ceremonial.

"Who are you to come and speak?"

"I am Soi Fong who was known as Shao Rin, Disciple of Shihouin, wielder of Suzumebachi, mistress of Shunko and captain of Second Division of Gotei 13 that defends Seireitei and all within it."

The words were measured and sure.

"Disciple of Shihouin, shall you speak and stand for the one who is before me?" Yoruichi asked solemnly

"I shall." came the quick reply.

"Shall you spill your life's blood for his cause?"

"I shall."

"Shall you pledge your fist, sword and life for his?"

"To the last breath and beyond, unwavering and unflinching, I shall."

Yoruichi's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, before a glint of understanding appeared in them as her quick mind connected the dots.

She nodded slowly.

"Then indeed, you are worthy to speak. For whom shall you speak?"

"I speak for myself. I speak for the Second Division. I speak for the one before you and on his behalf." said Soi Fong, her gaze hard Yoruichi nodded solemnly.

"So you speak, so it shall be." She intoned. She snapped the Ginsen shut and with a graceful, sinous move slid out of her outer robes.

At the same time, what he always thought was a wall, slid open, revealing large, open space.

All present in the room vacated the area hastily as Yoruichi started circling her pupil, her eyes hard, her grace predatory.

"Can you listen or are you deaf? Can you speak or are you mute? Do you have courage, or are you a coward? Do you possess wisdom or are you a fool? Do you have the power to win or are you a weakling? I shall see it for myself with my own hands. Rise. Rise and SHOW ME!" She roared entering shunpo almost too fast for him to react.

He flash stepped back as the ground he was standing one just seconds ago exploded.

If she had connected, he would have died for sure.

His eyes widened.

This was no sparring match. If he lost, If he faltered... She would KILL him.

There was only one response to that.

"GETSUGA TENHSOU!"

The roar of high density reiatsu was dwarfed by sudden explosion and Ichigo cursed as he saw the dust fall, confirming what his senses had felt a moment before.

Four wings of pure reiatsu pulsed wildly and she looked him straight in the eye, her golden eyes torches of awe inspiring power and burning resolve.

But he also had them. The resolve. The power. He had them both.

He grabbed his right arm without hesitation, Zangetsu pointing at his mentor.

"Ban...KAI!" He spat through gritted teeth, feeling his humongous reiatsu reserves explode outwards and compress at the same time, brining forth the Tensa Zangetsu and it's inhuman, even by Shinigami standards, speed.

He lunged at her, sending the Getsuga Tenshou to herald his blows. She batted away the high density energy pulse with bare arms and countered his swing in the middle, shortening the distance.

Their collective reiatsu exploded as they exchanged flurry of blows, defying every law that was about limits to such things like speed or raw force.

Earth exploded, stones were cut and sand vaporized in orgy of violence and power.

Two blurs backed away,

Ichigo was breathing hard, his hakama torn in several places, gash on his brow bleeding.

Yoruichi wasn't unscatched, but in a considerably better shape.

'God... I've almost forgotten just how freaking fast and powerful she is!' Ichigo thought with a scowl, wiping away the blood

"Going against my Tensa Zangetsu barehanded... You areally are something else, Yurichi-shishiou." he said with a smile "But this fight... Is mine!" He allowed the white mask to form as his reiryoku twisted wildly with dark glee and he lunged with Zangetsu...only to be blocked by an outstretched arm.

'WHAT?!' his eyes widened under the mask as an impossibly fast fist struck him like battering ram, sending him flying. 'Fast! Faster than me! Much faster!' Ichigo thought dumbly 'Nobody has that kind of speed...! NOBODY!'

He stared at his mentor and almost felt his jaw drop.

Instead of four, there were eight currents pulsing with unrestrained energy and obvious glee.

Yoruichi smirked, making a "come hither" gesture.

'I'm fucked.' Ichigo though calmly staring at the woman who was about to inflict an unimaginable amount of pain on him in a next few seconds.

'Ah, to hell with it...' he shrugged, hefting Zangetsu and grinning as the black lightning of his Hollow-version Hakkaten arced through him.

"That's it! That's the stuff!" Yoruichi grinned like a loon "Come on, Ichigo! Let's go WILD!"

And so, with the crackle of lightning, the howl of reiatsu and displaced air, they did.

oOo

Hanataro's skills came in handy as the medic took care of any more serious wounds. Most of them on Ichigo.

Thankfully, Yoruichi stopped before things got too serious, so both of them were still in more or less good shape.

Yoruichi had vanished into the main baths, but not before ordering Ichigo to clean up and come back to the patio as fast as he could.

He hissed, feeling the hot water washing over his open cuts.

"Sit still."

He stiffened before relaxing.

"Goddamit, I swear you are going to give me a hear attack some day. Can't you make some noise at least once in a while? Or flare your reiatsu?" He muttered as slim, naked form of Soi Fong became visible through the steam, a jar of familiar salve in hand.

"You know, if this continues, people might think you're my nurse." He joked

She looked at him, her face unredeable, then she knelt by the huge tub and looked at him stoically for a moment.

Carefully, almost daintily, she put the salve away, before forcefully grabbing his hair with both hands and lunging forwards like an attacking cobra.

"WH-MPhhh...!" Ichigo stopped struggling as she kissed him fiercely for a few moments and relaxed

'Geeez... I'll NEVER figure her out.' He thought absently, before drawing her to the tub without breaking the lip lock and concentrating fully on what he was doing.

oOo

He frowned, looking around.

The small room was conspicuously empty.

'Okay... Where the HELL are my clothes?' he thought suspiciously before he spied a carefully arranged stack of clot.

His eyes widened as he reached for the outer layer.

There was no mistaking it.

Those were the Shihouin robes with the full family crest. And not the servant type, either. Those were the hellishly expensive ones with the inner layer capable of serving as the Onmitsukido uniform, similar to the ones Yoruichi herself wore during her official functions as the Family head and Onmitsukido Commander.

And they were obviously his size. And intended for him, as his scarf - the only thing left of his clothes - was there.

'Okay. Now I'm oficially lost. What the FUCK is going on?!'

oOo

"Kurosaki Ichigo. You have completed all of the trials set before you. The Trial of Spirt. The Trial of Judgment. The Trial of Courage and, finally, the Trial of Power." Yoruichi smiled, presenting him with a copy of her Ginsen "Congratulations. I am proud of you, Ichigo."

Ichigo stared at the ornamental, but fully functional weapon in his hands in numb shock.

He knew what that was and he knew it's significance. Soi Fong had a similar (though not identical, since each was made for an individual wielder) on her desk. It was her most prized possession. It was a rare weapon, spirit device and a symbol, proclaiming him a friend and ally of Shihouin Family. It was... well, priceless.

During the time Shihouin family existed, only nine were made for non-family members. His was the tenth.

He looked at his mentor before nodding.

His "Thank you" came out a strangled rasp, but nobody - not even Ikakku - laughed.

Slowly, carefully, he opened his fan.

And hissed the air in rapidly in surprise.

On the surface was the unmistakable Shihouin family crest in all of it's ancient glory.

He looked at Yoruichi, not trusting his voice.

Her eyes were laughing.

"Welcome to the family... Shihouin Kurosaki Ichigo." She said with a grin.

He just nodded dumbly and she patted his hand, like one would small kid.

"Never had siblings, but you qualify... brat." She said with a smirk

He was too shocked to protest.

Which was a bad thing, since it might let him avoid what came next.

"Shihouin Kurosaki Ichigo, Onmitsukido Third Seat, commander of Special Response Battalion. You are hereby called to serve Seireitei. You have met with the approval of captains of Gotei 13 and are hereby accepted as worthy of fulfilling the duties of the Captain of the Fifth Division of Gotei 13. Effective immideatly. We await your appointment of the Vice Captain no later than a month after your nomination.

Congratulations on your promotion.

Such is ordered and signed by the Supreme Commander of Seireitei Armed Forces and Gotei 13 Commander-General, his Excellency Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni. Such was given, such was ordered and such it will be."

Byakuya's bland, dispassionate monotone could be as well commenting on the weather or complimenting food.

'SHIHOUIN Kurosaki Ichigo?!' His eyebrow started to twitch as he stared at the letter that effectively CHAINED him to Seireitei 'Those sneaky, underhanded...! They KNEW!

Yoruichi smirked and gave him an enthusiastic 'V for Victory'.

He wanted to growl, to throw a hissy fit but... It was bound to happen sooner or later. At least he didn't need to crawl through ranks the normal way. And Soi Fong looked happy.

Well, as happy as she ever got when they weren't alone.

'At least I know why Ikkaku is laughing like an idiot now.' He thought with a scowl, looking at the 11th division shinigami rolling on the ground.

oOo

Small glossary:

Hakuda: shinigami hand-to-hand combat used by Yoruichi and Soi Fong.

Shunpo: lit. flash step - the extreme speed that looks almost like a teleport that Ichigo and Byakuya are so fond of using.

Zanjutsu: swordsmanship. Shinigami combat arts with the sword.

Hoho: footwork. Shunpo is part of this art.

Kido: demon arts. Spells used by the shinigami.

Shunko: lit. 'flash cry'. Mix of hoho and kido created by Yoruichi, it is extreme level of power and speed comparable (maybe even eclipsing) the bankai. Absurdly powerful, extremely fast and very dangerous. Both Yoruichi and Soi Fong know it.

Hakkaten: lit. 'point of ignition' or 'flash point'. Ichigo's overly wasteful version of Shunko.


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here it is. Chapter 2. The same warnings as before still apply.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Sad, I know.

AN: Edited version.

ooo

Warborn

Chapter 2

ooo

Her hands worked with graceful precision that always amazed him as they fastened his new obi.

Even before becoming intimate, or even knowing her better, he had always thought of Soi Fong's hands as most expressive parts of her. After... Well, that was another matter entirely.

She tied the knot with precise elegance, but without the usual speed. Ever since they started the day she had been oddly ceremonial. Even the act of dressing, something he wanted to do himself, somehow fell into her hands.

Gently but firmly, she straightened out his gi and grabbed his forearm. Without a word, she took one of the strange arm bracers/gloves/whatever-the-hell it was and slipped them on his wrist, fastening it securely before doing the same with his other arm.

The bracers were identical to the ones worn by Byakuya - indeed, they were a gift from the 6th Division captain. The only difference was that they were in a shade of rusty red. Red that was displayed prominently on Shihouin family crest.

They looked stupid, in his opinion, but they were still Byakuya's gift. And Soi Fong insisted, in that wordless, forceful manner of hers. He knew better than to argue with her when she had that solemn, formal look on her face.

And her light touches she made as she dressed him with wordless familiarity and ethereal grace were strangely intimate in a manner he would have never suspected possible.

Each time her lithe form moved gracefully with the new article of clothing, he felt an odd mix of peace, arousal and casual intimacy.

He closed his eyes, drawing in the elusive jasmine scent mixed with a lightest touch of spice, grass and power that was uniquely hers before opening them again.

She finished with the bracers but let her touch linger, and for a briefest of moments she had a strange, mysterious smile that vanished as she put on the formal mask again.

Carefully, she opened the chest that he had been given yesterday, one with the symbol of 5th division on it, and took the long, white cloth from it, unraveling it gently until it had shown itself to be a familiar white haori.

Like every one of them, it had been meticiously tailored for him. From the overall size down to the alterations neccesary for his fighting style. Indeed, the garment had been shaped as to not hamper him in any way should he fight, resembling more a cross between Hitsugaya's jacket and Yoruichi's official Onmitsukido haori than the standard robe, what with reinforced shoulder pads and the lack of the billowing sleeves.

It even had a doubly reinforced, padded layer on his right shoulder where the harness for Zangetsu was usually resting.

Her own meddling, no doubt. Or Yoruichi's.

She slid his arms in with gentle firmness, fussing with the garment for a moment before taking a step back nodding to herself in satisfaction.

Her eyes turned thoughtful for a second before she reached to the desk - HIS desk now, as Yoruichi, in her typical manner, just up and decided he was going to live in the compound now - and took out the Ginsen. He didn't name it yet, but he would have to, sooner or later. It was the tradition and Soi Fong wouldn't let him break it.

She snapped the fan open in a well practiced manner, twisting it in a sinous, slow arc that showed the unobtrusive beauty of the weapon before slamming it shut and sliding it behind his obi in such a way the ornate handle with the small Shihouin crest was clearly visible.

With one, swift move she draped the white scarf neatly around his neck. Though his and Byakuya's had been near identical, he carried it in slightly different way that she took care to replicate.

She reached to the ornate stand where Zangetsu rested, taking the crimson harness and fastening it on his shoulder. Then, with no hesitation, she reached for the zanpakuto, tugging on the cloth that served as it's sheath.

Ichigo hissed, only to blink in surprise as the soul slayer emerged from the cloth.

Ever since he had confronted his inner Hollow, Zangetsu had shown a distinctive... displeasure to being so much as touched by anyone save Ichigo.

Last time some foolish Shinigami had tried it, the sword reacted. With vengeance.

The man spent a week in 4th Division infirmary and his arm had been nearly blown off from his torso.

But this time, Zangetsu was utterly silent and... compliant?

Ichigo nearly bit his lip when Soi Fong, with thoughtful look on her face, slid her hand down monstrous edge, but stayed silent.

He blinked when he felt her reiatsu flare briefly as the zanpakuto's edge glittered briefly like the moon it was named after. He felt... odd for a moment. As if he stood inside the bell that rang with her reiatsu. The feeling passed quickly, but the strange resonance lingered for a few seconds.

He was sure something had happened. Something very important. But he had no idea what and he doubted Soi Fong would tell him if he asked.

Unphased, she took Zangetsu's handle and allowed the weapon to sheathe itself again before fastening it on his back.

She circled him slowly until she was in front of him again, before taking a deliberate step, closing the distance between them.

She darted her head up. He always marveled how someone so small could be so powerful, both physically and in terms of sheer presence. Despite being shorter, she somehow seemed to be the same height as him, her presence dwarfing the room. She took his face into her hands with warm gentleness most would find astonishing given her usual severe manner.

Her black eyes looked at him, the gaze intense, searching for something that only she knew. Apparently finding it, she relaxed and nodded slowly.

"Shihouin Kurosaki Ichigo-Taicho...Now, you are ready." She whispered, giving him a slow, lingering kiss that took his breath away, before she stepped away.

She turned gracefully, giving him a full view of her uncovered back, before she slipped on her own haori. She reached to the desk... desk that looked suspiciously like the one she had at her home, come to think of it, and took out her own Ginsen, named - of course! - Kuroneko. She looked at it speculatively, before sliding it behind her obi in much the same manner she did with his.

She did the same with Suzumebachi, fastening the zanpakuto in it's usual place, before turning to him with a raised eyebrow.

She had been chosen to 'guide' him in his new duties until he was deemed proficient.

Yoruichi's meddling, no doubt. His mentor gleefully delighted in arranging those kind of 'coincidences' for them ever since she connected the dots. For once he didn't complain about her playful nature though.

Wordlessly, he extended his reiatsu, until the window swarmed with black forms of Hell Butterflies.

He took his breath and started to speak.

ooo

'Wretched hive of scum and villainy... Kenobi really must have seen this place when he said it.' he thought with amusement 'Though the attractions are... certainly worth it'

He grinned, winking to a skimpily dressed barmaid who giggled and blushed as he leered, before glaring daggers at the cute blonde thing on his arm. He reluctantly brought his eyes back to the table, fanning out his cards. He smiled inwardly seeing the spread, just like he did when he got it.

"All right, boy... Let's see the shit you have there!" Rasped the one-eyed thug in a ripped kimono, stained with cheap sake and occasional ash. Not that his street clothes were any better, but at least HE made them look good.

"Now, now... Patience is a virtue," He drawled lazily, shaking off the ash from his pipe "Though if you insist..." He laid down the cards and he smiled beatifically as the other occupants of the table exploded in a string of curses. The blonde squealed, melding into him, her eyes alight with laughter and a touch of greed.

"Another!" Growled the lead thug, slamming several coins to the table "Your luck won't hold forever, boyo!"

"If you insis-" He blinked, spying a small, black silhouette by the window.

'Well... It seems like my fun's over,' He thought, sending a remorseful glance at the stacked barmaid and the lithe girl whose yukata was rather loose and skin flushed after nearly an hour of his... gentle ministrations. With what he could win off of the small time thugs he was sure he would be able to persuade the girls to... get along. He did it before, after all.

'Oh well,' He thought philosophically, before pocketing the coins

"Sorry man, it looks like it's time for me to go. Maybe some other time." He said to the thug

The man's eyes narrowed, and he could feel the hostility from other gamblers almost suffocate the room.

"Yer not going anywhere till I get my money back, brat!" He spat, slamming the long, rusty knife into the table "Not unless you want to have several new assholes!"

He stared at the knife thoughtfully fro a few seconds, before slumping.

"Oh my. Look. A knife. How nice." He said flatly, suddenly grabbing his head in most theatrical manner "Oh WOE IS ME! Whatever SHALL I DO?!" He howled, tears in his eyes clearly visible then suddenly vanishing without a trace, as his face returned to the bored, lazy look. "Now that we have that out of the way, I think I'll be going, if you don't mind."

"Sorry sweetheart." He caressed the blonde's face tenderly with a rueful smile "It would have been fun... I'll look you up some time, okay?" He said with a wink, slipping a generous pile of coins into her hand.

With a coy smile, the girl dropped the coins to her bra and kissed him fiercely.

'Oh HELL yeah I'll be looking her up!' He thought with glee when they parted with a wet sound.

He gave a wink to the stacked barmaid who looked oddly dissapointed until she noticed the small fortune that seemingly appeared on it's own on her tray. She winked back, loosing her yukata with a deliberate move that showed off her impressive cleavage.

'I love this town.' He thought with blissful smile, turning to leave, before a meaty hand grabbed his arm.

"I SAID yer NOT leavin' till I get MY MONEY!" snarled the thug, his breath reeking of booze.

The young man rolled his eyes.

'Yare yare.' He thought with a sigh

"Five seconds." He said pleasantly

"What?"

"Until you lose that arm." The young gambler explained cheerfully "Two now, by the way."

The thug reddened, reaching for his knife.

"Why you...!" he roared.

He swung, straight at the insolent asshole's throat.

He blinked.

The youth stood there with a bored expression.

The thug stared at his knife. His knife on the floor. Along with his arm.

"Zero." stated the youth calmly. The gangsters froze as an unseen force started to press on them with a palpable dread.

"Any other takers wishing to get acquainted with my beautiful Ketsurui?" he said with half lidded eyes "None? That's what I thought."

Suddenly his face shifted, returning to goofy, lazy grin he spouted most the night.

"Well then, I shall bid you farewell for the night. It's been real fun. Let's do it again some time. Bai-bai!" He sang cheerfully, before walking out the establishment.

He breathed deeply, the air like a balsam to his lungs after hours spent in the crowded, seedy hole.

'You really should have killed that wretched creature.' Groused the cultured feminine voice.

He chuckled, caressing the crimson hilt fondly.

'My beautiful Ketsurui... Always so bloodthirsty.' He thought with amusement 'But If I killed him, you'd have even more of his disgusting blood on your beautiful blade.'

'Ah. I knew there was a reason.' She said thoughtfully 'Very well, you may carry on.'

He chuckled again. Bossy, overbearing, snobbish, bloodthirsty... And to him she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met.

Was it a crime to be in love with his own zanpakuto?

He stretched out his arm, allowing the black butterfly to land.

"Keigo Asano, Substitute Shinigami, Representative of the Eighth Division. You have been called to serve Seireitei..."

ooo

Duck. Block. Counter.

And explode into movement.

She smirked as the burly Onmitsukido soldier went flying, stopping abruptly several meters away and denting the wall.

Well, here was one less idiot that tried to rush her thinking his mass and power would carry the day.

The remaining six circled her warily.

They were the best of their unit, well versed in Hakuda, each at least century old and with more than a few battles under their belt for experience.

And the experience was only thing they had on her.

They were so outclassed that it wasn't even funny.

'Well,' she thought twisting under the powerful kick and closing the distance as she hit the nerve cluster while backhanding another attacker with casual ease 'Not everybody has the former Onmitsukido leader for a teacher, even if part-time.'

She took to the air, using the closest attacker's head as a spring board.

She almost laughed at the outraged growl as she did the head stand and kicked out with both legs.

'And not everybody has enough juice to fight even a low level arrancar barehanded one on one.' She thought with a smirk as she bounced lightly at the balls of her feet. 'Or spar with Kurosaki-freaking-powerhouse-Ichigo on weekends.'

"Come on, guys. Don't tell me it's all the famed Fourth Onmitsukido Battalion has?" she taunted with a mock outrage "I thought you guys were supposed to be all elite, tough, deadly and all that shit. Come on... COME ON!" She made a 'come hither gesture lazily "Give it some freaking heart! There is five of you! Use your head! Hell, grab your zanpakuto if you have to!"

The remaining warriors looked at themselves briefly before reaching for their respective weapons and suddenly the air was thick with killer intent.

"Oh yeah." She grinned "That's what I'm talking about! Time to slice, dice and GO FUCKING WILD!" She howled with glee, lunging at the closest black garbed warrior.

He stabbed out his weapon like an attacking cobra... Only to hit air and almost fold in half when her fist found it's way to his solar plexus.

"That was supposed to be a stab?!" She sneered "Go and practice for the next hundred years and maybe you'll learn how a REAL stab looks like!

Next one came in a flurry of blows that would turn any ordinary opponent into mince meat... Only she wasn't a normal opponent.

"TOO. FUCKING. SLOW!" She punctuated each word with series of lightning fast kicks only to halt for a moment, spying the black wings.

She blinked.

"And what do we have here?" she muttered curiously.

She grabbed the two attacking by their heads absently.

"Close, but no cigar. Good try, though." She said cheerfully. twisting her arms and throwing them aside like rag dolls.

"Well, it looks like I'll need to wrap it up quickly." She muttered with a sigh and the last Onmitsukido felt a bile in his stomach grow at her grin.

"Come here, you." She gestured at him lazily.

The Onmitsukido elite sweated, said a short prayer and winced thinking of the future bruises, but came anyway.

He liked his temporary commander. The girl was friendly, competent, cheerful and had the 'never say die' attitude that was endearing. And she was a challenging opponent to test his skills against.

She was also a fight junkie that equaled Yoruichi-sama or Soi Fong-sama at their worst and preferred live bouts as a primary form of training. Which wouldn't be so bad if she didn't have enough power to fight an arrancar with her bare hands and had a fighting temper of a demon.

He almost whimpered

The things he did for his commander...

A second later he was seeing stars and galaxies en masse.

She looked at her soldiers with pride.

"Good bout, guys!" She congratulated them "You're getting better, you almost had be there one time!" she said with a grin "Go get yourself patched up, we're done for today."

Sighs of relief met her proclamation as the operatives saluted before vanishing.

She shook her head with a chuckle, before she stretched out her arm, allowing the inky-winged creature to land.

"Arisawa Tatsuki, Special Operative of the Onmitsukido Fourth Interception Battalion. You have been called to serve Seireitei..."

ooo

She stalked the 11th division halls grumbling under her breath, giving a pause in the muttering to glare at the offending... item in her hands.

Honestly, Shingetsu Hamon could such a BITCH at times.

'I heard that!' growled the zanpakuto

'Oh DO shut up, you bloody overgrown paper clip on a stick!' She spat mentally

The zanpakuto had been even more troublesome than ever since the morning, simply refusing to seal herself back to the basic form. Leaving HER to carry her in her Kwan Dao shikai form. All nearly two meters of fucking wide, heavy, curved broadsword on the short staff of it.

'Well I wouldn't if you just got us some fun.' pointed out the weapon 'Come on, let's go wild and do some damage! Im booooored! We haven't fought in WEEKS! ' she whined

'Not WEEKS but A WEEK, you blasted junkie!' She glared at her weapon 'And we haven't fought because I had been in the bloody 4th division infirmary after being fucking seriously INJURED!'

'Well you aren't NOW.' Said the weapon petulantly ' I'm starting to rust here, you know. Just one, small, tiny fight? PLEEEEASE? With double cherry on top?'

She could almost see the puppy eyes. She could also feel the migraine forming.

Why oh WHY had she to get such a bloody annoying, frustratingly infuriating, disobedient zanpakuto? Ichigo didn't have any problems with his that she knew of. He even said Zangetsu was supportive! Dad didn't seem to have any problems either and he haven't used his for nearly thirty years!

Hell, even YUZU had a nice, well behaved one. She described Kahei Tensa as sweet, supportive and charming! Though how a seven section chain whip with wicked looking spikes at the ends could be describes as 'sweet' she had no idea.

'Because that flowery idiot is bloody GAY, that's why.' Groused Shingetsu Hamon

She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth and counting backwards.

'He-LOOO! Time's a wasting here!' snapped the zanpakuto 'Chop chop!'

She palmed her face, trying not to scream.

Why her?

'You win... But ONE fight. Then you get yourself sealed nice and tight and stop bugging me unless you're needed.' She thought with resignation

'ALL RIGHT!' Crowed the zanpakuto 'Just make sure it's a good one. No half assed beating on the weaklings, I want to really cut loose here!' Said the zanpakuto suspiciously

'Yeah, yeah. Don't get your panties in a twist, you junkie bitch.' she Groused balancing her zanpakuto on her arm, something she had borrowed from her brother and that oversized cleaver of his.

'Carnage, chaos, destruction, property damage galore... Here I come! Bwahahaha!' She rolled her eyes as she could feel the zanpakuto rubbing her figurative hands in glee as she cackled madly until halting for a second.

'Well, well, well...' Shingetsu Hamon drawled 'Look who's here... The moron and his stick!'

She blinked, before noticing one Madarame Ikkaku by the gate.

'Let's go and re-introduce ourselves, shall we?' Shingetsu Hamon purred 'Beating that overgrown toothpick is just what the doctor ordered. Hozukimaru, you dumb fuck... Get ready to become fucking SAWDUST.'

Against her better judgment, she could feel a nasty smirk forming on her face, one that rivaled her bloodthirsty zanpakuto's spirit.

She liked Ikkaku just fine, but since he was one of the few shinigami having a spear-like shikai release, he had ended up as her teacher and tended to put her through the world of hurt in the name of 'training'. And his snide remarks about her skill, coupled with his gloating and comparing her to her freakishly powerful brother always annoyed her when they fought side by side.

An duping her to fight that fucking madman of her captain and - even WORSE - the pink haired menace of her fukutaicho known as Yachiru...

She didn't even notice when she started to chuckle darkly, mirroring Shingetsu Hamon.

Chuckle that was interrupted by a familiar black form making a beeline for her.

'Huh?' She frowned 'Wasn't I on the medical leave to the end of the week?'

'Hey, he's getting away!' shouted Shingetsu Hamon 'Catch him before he gives us a slip!'

She looked at the black butterfly before shrugging.

Whatever it was, it could wait.

She had bigger fish to fry and certain bald morons to put in the worlds of hurt.

"Oh Ma-da-ra-me-sem-pai!" She sing songed sweetly with a nasty smirk that sent most of the lower ranked 11th division shinigami dodging for cover and praying they wouldn't be caught in the approaching mayhem.

Ikkaku turned to the sound of the voice and cursed, paling considerably.

He never minded a good fight but he was so goddamn hungover after than sake-fest with Ichigo, Yoruichi and rest of the crew at the compound and she had THAT grin on her face. And that freaking menace of a weapon of hers...

Was it actually GLOWING and radiating killer intent ON IT'S FUCKING OWN?!

Staring into the madly glinting eyes of Kurosaki Karin, Madarame Ikkaku had just one thought.

'Oh hell... This is going to suck, won't it?'

Then he heard the cackle. And the ominous whine of reiatsu vibrating through Shingetsu Hamon. And he had a second thought.

'Oh yeah. That's SO going to suck. And hurt. Lots.'

Then he remembered that his awesome, if fucking scary and psychotic captain issued the warning that if anybody, ANYBODY, got an injury that would interrupt his... outing (it was NOT a date - Zaraki Kenpachi DIDN'T date, since the notion was bloody ridiculous - they were outings) with Unohana-Taicho because it needed her expert hand would have a REAL fear of Kenpachi put in them.

Along with several one-one-one sparring sessions with himself and babysitting duty with Yachiru-fukutaicho. And Retsu herself had... suggested, in that serene, smiling and utterly CREEPY manner of hers, to keep the injuries down.

Or she would be most... displeased.

It was the first time in Seireitei's history that the 11th and 4th divisions worked together without a word of complaint, slightest hint of misbehavior, bullying or a brawl breaking out.

Hell, they worked together like well oiled, perfectly organized machine.

Ikakku blanched.

And nearly whimpered.

Sometimes it really sucked to be him.

ooo

Isane opened her eyes sleepily, turning to the left side.

She shivered, drawing blankets over herself, but as always, it didn't help.

She smiled sleepily and extended her arm, only to frown as she found nothing.

Shaking off the last vestiges of sleep she finally allowed herself to open her eyes fully.

True to form, the left side of the bed was empty, though still faintly warm.

'Where could he...?'

She looked around, only to relax as she noticed dusky skinned man standing by the window.

He was clad only in a loose shinigami pants, his wide, muscular back bare, the large blue cross tattoo clearly visible. On one of his large, muscled hands fluttered a Jigoku Cho, obviously just finishing the message it had been given.

Isane looked on curiously, and her eyes widened as she caught the last few bits of the message.

"Understood." Chad nodded simply.

Isane smiled fondly.

'Of course. How else.' She thought with amused exasperation. 'If he asked Chad to storm the Los Noches with his arms tied up, the reaction propably would be the same. Honestly, those two...' She sighed fondly. 'Well, it was just a matter of time.'

Chad turned.

"I woke you. Sorry." He said, and Isane felt a pleasant shiver at the base of her spine as his low, calm voice washed over her. She liked hearing him speak. Especially like that. Warm. She felt warm whenever he spoke to her in that smooth voice of his.

To her it didn't matter that he spoke so rarely. When he did, it was worth it.

"Don't worry. I was about to get up anyway." She smiled, getting out of bed lazily.

She felt like smirking as Chad's eyes roved her form, something akin to barely restrained greed flashing in them. She might have lacked Rangiku's outrageous curves or her Taicho's classical beauty but her body was lithe and taut and more than enough to show that she was a beauty in her own right.

Besides, Soi Fong's figure was nearly boyish and nobody ever seen Ichigo looking at other women like he did at her ever since Rukia died.

'And Chad certainly doesn't complain.' She giggled at her fiance's eyes, tracing each and every move she made as she walked to him with deliberate slowness, allowing him to look at every inch of her.

She wrapped her arms around him

"Good Morning, Chad." She smiled. "Or should it be Sado-fukutaicho now?"

Chad just smiled.

ooo

T-MINUS 60 SECONDS AND COUNTING.

"The reiryoku flow is within 78. All systems nominal."

"Increase to 80 percent and initiate the drain as soon as the gauge reaches the end."

"80 percent? Yuzu-sama that's...!"

"Don't worry. Just do it slowly."

"...Understood. Re-calibration in progress."

"Yuzu-sama... Isn't it too early? I mean..."

"No. His reserves can take it."

"But his body...!"

"Is perfectly all right. And I doubt he'd like to spend another week here."

"...As you wish."

T-MINUS 45 SECONDS AND COUNTING.

WARNING. REIRYOKU RECALIBRATION PROCESS HAD BEEN INITIATED. ENTRY VALUES HAD BEEN CHANGED BEYOND CALCULATED PARAMETERS. AUTOMATIC SAFETIES NOT ENGAGED.

"What are our readouts, Ryoko?"

"The pulse converter holds steady, the Mass within calculated margin. The inversion matrix runs a little hot, but within acceptable parameters. All systems green, Kurosaki-fukutaicho. We are go."

"Good. Recalibration?"

"We should be getting report any..."

SYSTEMS HAD BEEN RECALIBRATED SUCCESFULLY. ENTRY VALUES CHANGED. EXIT VALUES CHANGED.

REIRYOKU PULSE CONVERTER: 90  
INVERSION MATRIX: 93  
FLUX: 92  
REIATSU DENSITY: 78  
REIATSU IMAGINE MASS: 90  
REIRYOKU FLOW: 83

WARNING! WARNING!

INSTABILITY HAD BEEN REGISTERED WITHIN THE CORE COMPONENT!

REIRYOKU FLOW: 85 AND RISING!

"85! Good god! Yuzu-sama! It is rising too...!"

"It is rising exactly as it should be."

"Yuzu-sama is right, Junko. Or are you forgetting just who we are dealing with?"

"But still... Five percent in less than thirty seconds... Unbelievable."

"Of course."

T-MINUS 30 SECONDS AND COUNTING.

WARNING!

TRESHOLD PARAMETERS REACHED. RECOVERY OF THE CORE ADVISED.

"All right. Initiate the drain."

"Yes, Kurosaki-fukutaicho."

"Core accessed. Connections online. Systems green."

"Flow?"

"Ryoko? The flow, please?

"It... It is... 93 and... and rising, Yuzu-sama."

"...unbelievable..."

"And the connection?"

"Normal and within the parameters, Yuzu-sama. How did you know...?"

"It's all about will and control, Ryoko. He has both. Disengage the stasis. Initiate the recovery."

"Stasis locks disengaged. Recovery system online. Values are... nominal."

"And our patient?"

"Responding well within... Oh. Sorry. Above parameters."

T-MINUS 10 SECONDS. RECOVERY INITIATED. CORE ACESSED.

WARNING!

REIRYOKU FLOW: 100

"Yuzu-sama! The matrix...!"

"Let it be."

"But at this rate...!"

"Let it be. We can afford to lose it now and it will do what it is supposed to."

"...Kurotsuchi-taicho won't be happy, Yuzu-sama."

"I will deal with Nemu, you worry about the recovery. And losing one matrix, or even the whole device is worth it."

"As you wish. Safeties off."

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

REIRYOKU PULSE CONVERTER STATUS: CRITICAL!

INVERSION MATRIX STATUS: CRITICAL!

"Well..."

"Ouh."

"Smells kind of like my kitchen after I make steaks."

"Ryoko... You burn steaks."

"That's what I said."

"Ah... Damn!"

"Whooo... Well, there goes our matrix."

"And the pulse converter."

"Damn. Kurotsuchi-taicho is going to be SO pissed!"

"Yep."

"Don't worry, don't worry. Everything will be all right."

"Easy for you to say, Yuzu-sama. She adores you."

"People, can we concentrate on what we are doing here?"

"...Sorry, Kurosaki-fukutaicho."

"Sorry, Yuzu-sama."

T-MINUS ZERO. RECOVERY PROCESS FINISHED. LOCKS DISENGAGED. DRAIN COMPLETE.

"Status?"

"Just a second. We should be... Ah, here it is!"

"Well?"

"Yuzu-sama... That is..."

"My... god..."

"Oh just give it to me."

"...Here."

"Oh."

"Well... that's one way to say it. Shit!"

"Don't speak to Yuzu-sama so disrespectfully, idiot!"

"Ow! I'm not! It' just...!"

WARNING!

REIRYOKU ACTIVE.

REIATSU SPIKE DETECTED.

ZANPAKUTO ACESSED.

MATERIALISATION COMPLETE.

STATUS: ACTIVE.

SEAL: FIRST LEVEL, ACTIVE.

SUMMARY:

SUBJECT: UKITAKE JYUUSHIRO

ZANPAKUTO: SOGYO NO KOTOWARI... MATERALISIED.

LEVEL: SHINIGAMI

RANK: 13TH DIVISION CAPTAIN

STATUS QUERY?

REIATSU SPIKE DETECTED.

REIRYOKU: REGULAR

ZANPAKUTO: ACESSED, MATERIALISATION COMPLETE.

SUBJECT UKITAKE JYUUSHIRO... ACTIVE.

ooo

Ukitake opened his eyes slowly, wincing slightly as the light of the laboratory, even muted, hit them.

He winced, but allowed them to get used to illumination again.

'Ouh.'

He shook his head, shaking off the greenish liquid that he had been resting in for the past several months.

'Well... it doesn't seem to smell any better than before. At last it's not worse.'

He sneezed.

Damn but he was cold!

He instinctively drew on his reiatsu to warm his body.

He shivered for a second before some helpful soul covered him with a long blanket.

"How are you feeling, Ukitake-taicho?"

Jyuushiro blinked and turned to the source of the gentle voice.

"Oh! Yuzu-chan!" He smiled, looking at the young 12th division vice captain. "Nice to see you!"

"I would say the same, but I've been seeing you for the past seven months every day." She grinned. "How are you feeling?"

"Not bad." He said, tightening the blanket around himself. "I can..."

He trailed off, his eyes widening.

'Wait.'

He was cold.

He sneezed.

He drew on reiatsu at a rapid rate.

And he hadn't coughed.

For that matter...

He frowned.

There was something... strange.

Not bad but... It made him feel of balance.

There was something missing.

Something...

"Oh." His eyes became very wide.

Even when he was up and not bothered by the attacks of his disease, he always felt it. That strange not-pain in his chest, the feeling of some weight on his lungs.

But now...

'It is... gone? Gone?"

He froze.

He had been living with his sickness for as long as he could remember. But now...

He dug into his reiatsu reserves like never before. He called his reiatsu and it answered the call, swiftly and without the resistance that his body usually presented.

For once he didn't care that the power was nearly suffocating most of the shinigami in the room.

He reveled in it, feeling his body, his healthy, strong body, working like a perfect machine. Like it should. Like it was doing now.

Hundreds of years of research, the best minds of Seireitei, the best medics the 4th division had in their ranks... And all they could do was slow it down a little and ease his pain.

But now... Now. This slip of a young woman. A rookie shinigami. She had done the impossible. She had, basically, returned his life to him.

"You've done it... I can't believe it... YOU'VE DONE IT!" Ukitake grinned and laughed, grabbing Yuzu into an exuberant hug, uncaring of her embarrassed squeak "HAHAHA! Yuzu-chan! You're a genius! GENIUS I tell you! Wahooo!"

The 12th division scientists were given a rare treat as, right before their dumbfounded eyes, Ukitake Jyuushiro, one of the most respected captains and one of the strongest shinigami to ever enter Gotei 13, danced around the laboratory with their cute fukutaicho in his embrace.

Danced, let it be added, practically butt naked, sans the blanket that all but slipped of his arms and unminding of the greenish liquid he was covered with.

The scientists just stared, as Yuzu squeaked with indignation, blushing atomic rouge.

'Why is she...?' Isuzu Ryoko, the 3rd Seat officer thought puzzled. 'Oh. OH.' She blushed looking at the 13th division captain.

"...Damn but he's built... Kurosaki-fukutaicho is so lucky, isn't she?" Asami Junko said, drooling. "Kinda makes me wish I was in her place."

"Yeah..." Ryoko said absently

Ukitake danced around the lab, not caring in the slightest as he swung Yuzu around and laughed like a madman.

It was to that scene that the doors to the laboratory opened, letting in Kurotsuchi Nemu and her fellow captain, Kyoraku Shunsui in.

"...the process is running smoothly, Kyoraku-taicho, but we are still not sure if..."

Nemu froze.

Kyoraku looked at his friend and the young woman and grinned.

"Oh I don't know about that. Looks like a complete success to me. Jyu-chan is certainly... lively enough. And he's in very good company." His grin widened into lecherous as Yuzu's outer kimono loosened and slid of partially from the mad swinging. "Oh yeah. Very good company."

Nemu's eyebrow twitched.

ooo

"Please this way, Chad."

Chad nodded following the scientist.

Ran'Tao unlocked the small chamber, revealing the small space filed with numerous Seal lines all over it.

"I must warn you." She fixed her glasses. "Due to the nature of your power, we don't know how... stable it will be. We ran countless simulations, but there is no guarantee. And even then, it is only 47, according to my own calculations."

Chad nodded again.

"There is a possibility of failure here, Sado-kun. You have much power, but power alone might not be enough." Ran'Tao warned him seriously. "And if something goes wrong... Death isn't too much of a stretch."

Chad just looked at her.

"I thought so." She sighed with exasperation. "I swear, you and Ichigo... Well, no reason to wait, then. In you go."

"Ran'Tao-san. Thank you." Chad said to her earnestly, before going in.

She sighed, sealing the chamber.

"Good luck... Chad." She whispered.

ooo

It was cold.

That was the first thing he noticed as he sat down.

And it was getting colder.

He sat down in the central seal, as instructed by Ran'Tao.

Nothing happened.

Still, Sado Yasutora was nothing if not patient.

So he sat.

He waited.

He looked at the seals.

He didn't notice when his eyes closed and his body slumped, like a puppet with cut strings.

ooo

Ran'Tao bit her lip as she watched the readouts.

'I have done all I can. Now, it's up to you.'

ooo

The mist was milky white, dense and thick. Almost a living thing as it twisted around him.

It was hot and humid as well, he noticed as he wiped off the sweat off his brow.

'Hot. Even Mexico wasn't this hot.'

He looked around.

There was... something here. Something.

But what?

Well, he KNEW what it was supposed to be but...

"Well, well, well... Look what the cat dragged in."

The voice was a low growl, but it didn't sound threatening. More amused. And annoyed.

He turned around quickly and the mist vanished, leaving a jungle.

His eyes widened as he spotted a tiger on the nearby rock, resting in the sun.

A very large, massive tiger.

"Finally feeling like vistin', boy?" The beast bared his teeth. "Well it was about damn time, too."

Chad blinked.

"You were... waiting?" He asked carefully.

"Well shit, boy." The beast jumped of the rock lazily. "What does it look like, eh?You think I've been lying on this here rock all that time for my health?"

"Cats do." Chad pointed out.

"I am not a cat, boy." The beast snorted. "I am a tiger."

"Tigers do, too." The young man supplied helpfully.

The tiger just gave him a flat look.

"I should bite you, you know." He muttered, shaking his head. "I had all of this scene SO nicely thought out. Riddles, baiting... Fun, I tell you. But no!" The tiger snarled. "You had to go and get that armor of yours. Arm of the giant... my furry ass!"

Chad blinked again.

"What do you mean?"

The tiger looked at him incredosuly for a moment.

"You mean... you didn't know?" He asked with disbelief. "All that time..." He snickered before laughing out loud. "Damn! That's funny! All that time... all that time around that Ichigo kid, soaking up the Pure Blood shinigami power mixed with the Vaizard vibes... And you didn't KNOW! Oh damn...! That's just...!" The animal chuckled. "Man oh man... What a mess!"

Chad frowned

The tiger shook it's head.

"Okay. Since I can see you've got no freakin' idea what's what, I have a question for you." He looked at Chad, his golden eyes glinting. "Your powers were awakened because you were in contact with the bleach hair kid, right?"

Cad nodded.

"Now, you've been in contact with the kid the longest. Save that Tatsuki girl. Right?

Chad nodded again.

"Have you ever thought why that Tatsuki girl got her Zanpakuto right off the bat? No problem, no fuss?" The beast grinned.

"Ichigo..." Chad started.

"Ah! But YOU were in contact with Ichigo as well!" The tiger cut before he could complete the sentence.

"Urahara-san said, that those were our natural..."

The beast snorted, cutting him off again.

"Natural... Yeah! As if!" The tiger sat in front of him. "Listen. There is nothing 'natural' about your powers. The girl... maybe. I ain't sure, but it's possible. You? No chance. If they were so fuckin' natural, why the hell were they awakened fully in Hueco Mundo, eh? Why did Hollow's powers felt so much like ours? Ever thought about that? Why did your Right Arm had teeth? Ever wondered how the hell could you block cero with that shield but physical attacks were harder, eh?" The large animal leaned forward. "I can tell you why, boy. Because your 'Right Arm' doesn't block reiatsu. It devours it."

Chad foze, his mind working furiously.

"Am I like a hollow?" He asked cautiously.

"Hollow? No." The tiger sighed. "You kid, are nearly unique. If there is anything similar to you, it'd be that Ichigo kid. You are both alike. Two powers, one soul."

"Two but..." Chad's eyes widened. "That means... you must have been here before."

"Of course. What are you, deaf?" The tiger growled. "I've been here since the beginning. I've been waiting. Waiting all that damn time for you to come here. To draw me. To accept your own power. But no. You just had to be damn stubborn. Had to 'rely on your fist'. Stupid brat. And now... Now you need me? Now you come here, all cocksure and shit... And not even because you want help. Just because of some... formalities." The tiger's face scrunched up in distaste. "You are a piece of work, kid."

"Sorry."

The tiger growled menacingly, before sighing.

"You know, I can say no. I can just leave you to fuckin' fend for yourself. But I ain't spiteful. Much." He looked at Chad. "I'm pissed I didn't' get to fight earlier, sure. But there will be plenty of fights soon. We both know it. So I'll go with you. Under one condition." The tiger got up and started circling him.

"You have a shield, which is your armor." The tiger said. "You have a fist, which is your weapon. Offense. Defense. You can protect those you love. So... What am I needed for? What is my role? Tell me, and I will tell you my name. Tell me, and I will walk by your side and rend your enemies apart. Tell. Me."

'He is right.' Chad frowned thoughtfully. 'My right arm defends, my left attacks... I have plenty of power. I need zanpakuto, yes. But it is, as he said, formality. So what can possibly...' His eyes widened. 'Defend. Defense. I am... defensive. Protect. He said protect those you love but...' An understanding dawned. 'I don't just fight to protect anymore. This is war. And I need to... I need to attack!'

"Heh. I knew I made it too easy." The tiger smirked. "But promise is a promise. Kid, listen well and remember. I am the claw to your fist. I'm the blade that warrior needs to kill his enemies. I don't defend, I don't protect. I cut. I rend apart with my claws until nothing is left. I'm the vanguard, the spearhead of the attack. I'm the warrior's edge. Your edge, now. I am..."

"Sentan."

ooo

Chad opened his eyes.

He clenched his fist, now covered with black an purple, like his other one. Shield on one arm. Spikes on another.

And a long sword, nearly a nodachi, in his hand.

He looked at the weapon for a long while, before grasping it.

"Tear apart, Sentan."

The steel shrieked, almost roared, and he could swear he heard a growling laugh in his head.

He looked at his left hand, a metal contraption, part glove part bracer with the four long metallic claws extending from it's knuckles.

'I guess I really am the tiger now.' He thought with a small smile.

ooo

"Attention all of the active Gotei 13 personell. Attention all of the active Gotei 13 personell. 5th Division is, as of now, entering a reactivation period. After the reactivation is finished, the 5th Division will be entering the active combat duty. All active 5th Division shinigami are to leave their temporary positions they had been rotated to during the suspension and return to the 5th Division immideatly. You are expected on the 5th Division troop assembly in three days.

The presence is mandatory for all of 5th Division staff. No excuses save for those cleared with the 4th Division.

So ordered by Shihouin Kurosaki Ichigo, 5th Division Captain and Sado Yasutora, 5th Division Vice-captain."

ooo

TBC.


End file.
